Two recently published acupuncture studies for osteoarthritic knee pain showed promising results. Both studies were randomized control trials (RCT) – A University of Maryland study was a controlled trial involving 570 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Treatment with acupuncture was found to reduce pain and improve function after 23 treatments received over the course of 26 weeks, as compared to sham acupuncture and as compared to education sessions with no acupuncture. Subjects were randomized to either receive real acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or education sessions with no acupuncture. The WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) was used to assess pain and function. After 8 weeks, subjects who received real acupuncture experienced significant improvements in function, but not in pain, compared to subjects in the sham acupuncture group. However, after the full 26 weeks, subjects who received real acupuncture experienced significantly greater improvements in pain, function, as well as patient global assessment, as compared to subjects receiving sham treatments. Limitations of the study involved the fact that many of the patients were unavailable for analysis at study end (25% in the real acupuncture group; 25% in the sham acupuncture group; and 43% in the education group were unavailable).
An observational study in Berlin showed that acupuncture in addition to routine care showed a marked clinical improvement over routine care alone.
Acupuncture in a research setting is tricky as it isn’t a one size fits all medicine. There can be many different causes of osteoarthritic knees. Therefore studies that do not use a standard point prescription, but rather base the points on an individuals condition would most likely show even more formidable results.
In Health,
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist & Nutritionist Dietitian
Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, & Nutrition
Boston, Jamaica Plain, Brookline, Massachusetts